"Strike Fighter" Turbo Vulcan Enters Testing

OrigamiAirEnterprises began testing its new Turbo Vulcan multi-role aircraft for compatibility with OAE's Multipurpose Underwing Pylon II (MUP II) system, two XM26-1 SMP (Small Multipurpose Pods) and added dorsal fins. The addition of these technologies have made the chosen aircraft one of the most intricate in OAE's current test fleet.

The aircraft, designated JF292-5, is intended to test whether or not the Turbo Vulcan can accommodate the compromises in performance with the added drag and extra weight of the added parts. If successful, the Turbo Vulcan could potentially serve as a high speed cruise missile carrier in the tested configuration, and upon landing be refit with more pods or be stripped of the additional weight and redeployed without the additional equipment in its regular configuration.

All of the technologies fitted to the demonstrator can be removed and replaced as desired with ease, something OAE hopes will enable greater versatility for the aircraft should the tests prove successful. In its clean configuration, the Turbo Vulcan has already proven itself fast and able to climb very well.

Update: The JF292-5 was declared as having acceptable performance, and demonstrated its ability to have its pylons fitted and removed as desired. While the aircraft was given a testing "J" prefix, it is expected that this sort of configuration may become more normal for Vulcan family aircraft in the future.

Force Reductions At Stearns ﻿﻿Vulcan Family Remains Dominant﻿﻿

An OAE F292-14 Turbo UltraVulcan, one of the types becoming the backbone of units at Stearns PFB.

With its new establishment at Stearns PFB, OAE has followed its recent move with type reductions that have left the Vulcan family of multi-role aircraft preeminent. Many older types of single-purposed aircraft were phased out in favor of fewer but more versatile Vulcan variants in order to reduce OAE's number of aircraft and conserve space at the new base. Not affected by the draw-downs were larger aircraft like the Skywarrior, Thunderwarrior and Stratowarrior heavy bomber/transports.

It is unclear if there will be more reductions or not. Currently, OAE projects "fourth generation" Vulcans will be the primary aircraft of Stearns for the foreseeable future. However, at this time, OAE is also reviewing its Turbo UltraSabre as a possible dedicated complement to the UltraVulcan in the air superiority/interceptor role.

Developments of the Vulcan Family

F292-7 Super StratoVulcan

Development of the Vulcan family of multi-role aircraft by OrigamiAirEnterprises (OAE) is expected to continue, following the recent bout of popularity of the new F292-7 Super StratoVulcan. While OAE believes it is unlikely more than a few hundred examples of the Super StratoVulcan were actually produced by others (following several thousand views), its success has encouraged the continuation of development of the series. As a result of its viewership spike, the F292-7 is now OAE's most popular copy paper airplane after only a few months.

Currently, OrigamiAirEnterprises also has improved versions of the original F292-1 Vulcan in testing. Because of extensive commonality between the designs of the YF292-8 and YF292-9 prototypes and the original model, OAE expects full conversion capability. If testing is successful and OAE does choose to operate these new variants, it appears likely many of its F292-8/-9 aircraft could be converted from F292-1 models. OAE previously announced its intention to retire the original Vulcan from duty within the next few weeks, after several months of service as a multi-role fighter and trainer aircraft.

Retirements At Edwards; Vulcan Family Emphasized

F292-10 UltraVulcan

New variants of OrigamiAirEnterprises' Vulcan family of multi-role aircraft have begun replacing older types at Edwards IAB, in an effort to reduce the number of types in service. Some aircraft, including several older multi-role types and Vulcan variants, were selected for retirement in mid-November. These retirements follow the fielding of the new F292-9 HyperVulcan and F292-10 UltraVulcan, as well as the F292-8 Simple Vulcan, which was retained as an intercept-capable trainer aircraft. Two new Vulcan models, improved versions of the F292-6 AeroVulcan and the highly successful F292-7 Super StratoVulcan, are also in development. Ironically, many of the new aircraft are actually airframes that have been converted, remanufactured and modified to newer standards. Each of the new Vulcan variants are able to be produced by converting some selected older variants. As such, retired aircraft are not being scrapped, but are being put into storage instead for potential future conversion. Further retirements at Edwards are expected to occur in coming months, as aircraft of the Vulcan family and other types absorb others' roles.

Roll Out of Warhawk

The new Warhawk “lightweight fighter” (LWF) rolled out to the world last month. The Warhawk is a small, simple aircraft designed to serve as an interceptor, with a secondary role as a strike aircraft. OAE believes that the aircraft can replace many different models with a common, simpler airframe.

OrigamiAirEnterprises chose the StratoVulcan as its test platform due to their aircraft's recent rollout and inherently good stability and performance.

Initial tests have found flights with the pylons fitted but no load placed are comparable to flights without the pylons; the differences in weight and drag being negligible to performance.

Tests with two YM25-1 AUAR pods fitted have shown the aircraft to be slightly slower and have shorter range, but still quite capable nonetheless. Even with two pods fitted on the pylons, the StratoVulcan can still be equipped with flaps, slats and other surfaces and operate with them without difficulty.

The YM25-1 AUAR pods are advanced versions of the YM16-1 low drag multipurpose pods with 2 sets of fins fitted for directional stability and clamps fitted on its top for interaction and mounting with the MUP II system. The design of the clamps enable pods to be launched off the pylons with just a source of forward thrust.

Testing of the systems is expected to continue several weeks.

Vulcan Rolled Out

The OAE F292-1 Vulcan multi-role aircraft is now complementing and replacing several other types at Edwards IAB.

The Vulcan was developed by OrigamiAirEnterprises as an advanced multi-role variant of its older F210-1 Dagger export fighter-interceptor.

In addition to serving as a successor to the Dagger, it is hoped by OrigamiAirEnterprises that other Vulcan variants now in testing can be perfected to fill other roles.

Several prototypes of these different variants are now in testing at Edwards IAB, alongside their now operational basis.

OAE Shelves Carrier

OrigamiAirEnterprises has stopped work on its carrier project indefinitely, due to poor performance of aircraft intended to operate with the carriers.

The OAE YA116-2 Seahawk multi-role aircraft (pictured) was designed to serve as one of these craft. The Seahawk was canceled in November 2012 after it was found to have poor low speed handling and weakness in its foldable wings.

While several other designs--such as navalized variants of the successful OAE F266-2 Super StratoEagle and OAE A165-1 SkyHammerhead multi-role aircraft and the YA166-2 StarTracker multi-role prototype--were tried as alternatives to the Seahawk, none were successful. Instead, each suffered from similar handling and/or integrity issues. More recently, a navalized version of the Vulcan was made to test its performance. The new aircraft did not fare any better in testing.

While OrigamiAirEnterprises has put the project on hold, it intends to return to carrier development at a later time.

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